Water ski tow



May 1964 H. D. HOLTSHOUSER WATER SKI TOW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 7, 1961 INVENTOR.

Hon/4R0 0. fiaznswadgze y 1964 H. n. HOLTSHOUSER WATER SKI TOW 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1961 United States Patent 015 3,134,356 Patented May 26, 1964 3,134,356 WATER SKI TOW Howard D. Holtshouser, 28204 Maple, Roseville, Mich. Filed Apr. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 101,546 20 Claims. (Cl. 114235) u'e tions late .iqa fastening means for water skiing to a "'Many"water skiing enthusiasts have discovered a problem in attaching the tow line to a power boat. In many cases the line has been attached to the transom or the rail, and this has caused damaging strains on the hull.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a inigue tow fastening device which permits the use of a s n glef double tgw an 2.292525.

is thrown d which details of construction and operation will be apparent in the following description and claims.

Drawings accompanying the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as follows:

FIGURE 1, a perspective view of a boat and outboard in phantom showing the fastening device.

FIGURE 2, a plan view of the device showing the manner in which motion can be accomplished.

FIGURE 3, a perspective view of the construction illustrating the details of the movable parts.

FIGURE 4, a side view of the device illustrating the two relative positions.

FIGURE 5, a partial section of the unit illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6, a perspective view of a modified construction.

FIGURE 7, a perspective view of the portions of the parts of FIGURE 6 showing their relationship.

FIGURE 8, a side view of the parts illustrated in FIG- URE 6.

Referring to the drawings:

A boat hull A carries an outboard motor B in the usual fashion, the outboard being mounted on the transom of the boat. Fastened to the keel of the boat is a plate 10 having suitable holes to permit it to be bolted directly to the bottom of the keel. The projecting end of the plate 10 has two turned-up side portions 12 and 14, each of which is slotted at 16 with a slot which has a downwardly extending enlargement 18 at the forward end. Acting in this slot is a headed pin 20 with a head 22 on each end. Mounted and retained by the pin 20 is a Y-shaped hitch member 30 having a fastening shank portion 32 which passes behind the pin 20, as viewed in FIGURE 3, and under it and outward (aft of the hull) is a tongue portion 34 which terminates in a down-turned wing portion 36 having side extensions 38 and 40.

The arms 50 and 52 of the Y extend upwardly and aft of the transom to position astraddle of an outboard shaft housing, each arm with a rearwardly projecting tab 54 apertured to receive the end of a tow rope.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the shank portion 32 is in position for the unit to serve as a tow connection. The wing portion 36 is abutted against an up-turned toe portion 60 on the plate 10, this toe portion 60 serving to limit the astern motion of the Y unit. In this position because of the length of the slots 16, the Y unit can pivot on a substantially vertical axis as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 2 which illustrate the extremeties of the tfigf tl errcontmue t Q ILRRH P: A further object is the attachment of the tow unit to position in either direction. For example, if pressure is released on one tow rope 62 while the other tow rope 64 is carrying a load, the arm 50 will swing a beam to the inside dotted position and the arm 52 will swing to the outside dotted position and vice versa. Thus, the tow pressure is either balanced on the two arms of the Y or it is as close to the center as it could possibly be without interference with the outboard motor.

When the tow unit is not being used, it can be moved up into a storage position. This is accomplished by moving the shank 32 toward the transom along with the pin 20. The shank 32 must be turned to an upright position which carries the wings 38 and 40 over the curved ends 66 of the flanges 12 and 14; and when the wings 38 and 40 are moved behind a shoulder 68, they drop on to the surfaces 70 at the same time that the pin 20 drops into the enlarged portions 18 of the slots. Thus, the device is maintained in the storage position until raised and moved forward to the operating position.

In FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 a modification is shown wherein a bottom plate is mounted to the transom in the same manner that plate 10 is mounted, this plate 80 having an up-turned toe portion 82 at the outer end. A Y- shaped fastening element 84 has a shank portion 86 and two arms 88 and 90. The shank portion 86 is looped at 92 around the pin-like bight 94 of a U-shaped trunnion member having upright arms 96 and 98, these arms being out-turned at 100 to pass through the side flanges 102 of a strap element 104. The projecting members 100 are riveted at 106 to retain the parts in assembly. The looped portion 92 of the shank portion 86 passes upwardly and astern in a tongue portion 108 which in the positions shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 in solid lines bears against the top of an up-turned toe portion 82 of plate 80. The bight portion 94 of the yoke has a dependent pivot element 110 which passes through plate 80 and is riveted at 112, to provide an enlarged retaining head. Strap 104 limits the forward motion of shank 86 in either position of the Y-member; that is, in tow position or storage position.

In the positions shown in full lines in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that the parts may pivot around the downwardly projecting stem 110 in an amount depending on the distance between the stem and the toe portion 82. This amount can be varied as desired. The face member of the strap 104 is angled to lie substantially parallel to the shank 86. In the storage postition shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 8 the strap 104 is moved down as the Y member is moved upwardly so that the strap member 104 hooks under the tongue 108, thus holding the parts in upward position.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a sturdy fastening device which can be applied to the keel of a boat in a manner that will not interfere with the outboard engine and yet a device that can carry one or two tow ropes and adjust automatically to the pressures on each. In addition, the device has both an operating position and a storage position.

I claim:

w s r l a a bbat, means to fasten said bar to the keel of a boat, a

" v shaped hitch member having a shank and having spreading arms to lie astraddle an outboard motor shaft, said Y-shaped hitch extending obliquely from said bar, and means pivotally to mount the shank to said bar to allow movement of said arms abeam the centerline of said bar proportional to the tow pressure on each arm.

2. A ski tow for watercraft ,as defined in claim 1 in which the means pivotally to mount said hitch member comprises a movably mounted pin on said bar arranged to have motion about an axis perpendicular to said bar,

and means on said shank alfixed to said pin member to anchor said shank to said bar.

3. A ski tow for water craft as defined in claim 2 in which a loop on said shank passing around said pin has a tongue member projecting astern of said pin, and means on said bar abaft of said pin for contacting said tongue member to limit the downward motion of said hitch member.

4. A ski tow for watercraft as defined in claim 1 in which the means pivotally to mount said hitch member comprises means forming parallel slots in said bar, a pin slidably mounted in and between said slots, and a loop on said shank passing around said pin to anchor said shank to said bar.

5. A ski tow for watercraft as defined in claim 4 in which the loop on said shank passing around said pin has a tongue extension abaft of said pin, and means on said bar also abaft of said pin to limit the downward motion of said tongue and thus the downward motion of said hitch member.

6. A ski tow for watercraft as defined in claim 4 in which the parallel slots in said bar have a downwardly extending portion to permit said pin to drop at the forward end of said slots and a tongue member on the end of the loop of said shank having wing portions to retain the hitch member in an upright position when the pin is located in the downwardly extending portions of said slots.

7. A ski tow for watercraft as defined in claim 4 in which the means forming the parallel slots in said bar comprises side wings on said bar extending upwardly and parallel to each other, said wings being slotted horizontally, said pin being slidably mounted in said slots abeam of said bar.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 in which wing members are formed on an extension of said loop passing around said pin and shoulders are formed on said side wings of said bar for co-operation to maintain said hitch member in a storage position when said pin and said shank are moved forward on said bar.

9. A device as defined in claim 8 in which said slots have downwardly extending terminal recesses at the forward end to receive said pin in storage position.

10. A ski tow for watercraft as defined in claim 3 in which the pin member comprises the bight of a U-shaped member having upwardly extending arms, the bight being pivotally mounted to the bar by a dependent element.

11. A device as defined in claim 10 in which a strap limits the motion of the hitch member in a storage position by hooking under said tongue member extending astern of the loop passing around said pin.

12. A device as defined in claim 10 in which a strap member mounted on the upwardly extending arms of the U-shaped member encircles the aft side of the hitch member to locate said hitch member in an operating position abaft said bar.

13. A device as defined in claim 10 in which a strap member pivotally mounted on the upwardly extending arms of the U-shaped member encircles the aft side of the hitch member to locate said hitch member in-an opcrating posititon, and said strap member limits the motion of the hitch member in a storage position by hooking under said tongue member extending astern of the loop passing around said pin.

14. A device as defined in claim in which the strap member has a face angled to lie parallel to the aft face 10 of the Y member in operating position.

15. A ski tow as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for selectively retaining said Y-shaped hitch inclined at an angle with respect to said bar.

16. A ski tow as set forth in claim 1 wherein said Y- shaped hitch member has relatively fixed arms.

ible towline is connected to one of said arms. 18. In 'cenibiliafieh;a'watererarrafia a 'slti'tow for use as a single or double hitch, said watercraft having a keel and a transom, said ski tow comprising a fastening bar secured along said keel exterior of said boat and closely ad jacent said transom, a Y-shaped hitch member having a shank and spreading arms, and means pivotally mounting said shank to said bar whereby movement of said arms abeam the centerline of said bar is proportional to the tow pressure on each arm.

19. In combination, a boat and a ski tow device, said boat having a keel and a transom, said transom having an outboard motor secured thereto, said ski tow comprising a fastening bar secured to said keel, a Y-shaped hitch member having a shank and spreading arms, said arms straddling a motor shaft of said outboard motor, means pivotally mounting said shank to said bar whereby movement of said arms abeam the centerline of said bar is proportional to the tow pressure on each arm.

20. In combination, a watercraft and a ski tow, said watercraft having a keel and a transom, and said ski tow being'sec'ured to said keel exterior of said watercraft and closely adjacent said transom, said ski tow having a hitch member, said hitch member having a plurality of arms extending rearwardly from said transom, each of said n arms being adapted to receive a tow-line, and mea'f1s"f6i automatically orienting said hitch with respect to said keel in response to towing forces on said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,139,970 Moore Dec. 13, 1938 2,490,645 Murat Dec. 9, 1949 2,995,386 Peterson Aug. 8, 1961 3,000,652 Hawkins Sept. 19, 1961 3,018,748 Denis Jan. 30, 1962 3,043,259 Sadler July 10, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES Boat Magazine, March 1960, page 9. 

1. A SKI TOW FOR WATERCRAFT FOR A SINGLE OR DOUBLE HITCH WHICH COMPRISES A FASTENING BAR TO LIE ALONG THE KEEL OF A BOAT, MEANS TO FASTEN SAID BAR TO THE KEEL OF A BOAT, A Y-SHAPED HITCH MEMBER HAVING A SHANK AND HAVING SPREADING ARMS TO LIE ASTRADDLE AN OUTBOARD MOTOR SHAFT, SAID Y-SHAPED HITCH EXTENDING OBLIQUELY FROM SAID BAR, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY TO MOUNT THE SHANK TO SAID BAR TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMS ABEAM THE CENTERLINE OF SAID BAR PROPORTIONAL TO THE TOW PRESSURE ON EACH ARM. 